I love this movie so much

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

I had seen this on television ~ ABC probably, but at a friend's house, at the time of release. We talked about that time a few years ago and I was saying remember that Dr Who episode ?..." I've never seen Dr Who." My pal replied and this set of a chain reaction of thinking about it further and consulting IMDb. I'd got it wrong, but thematically right. I realised that I'd only seen episode one and had subsequently devoted myself to the new Dr Who along with great fondness for Christopher Eccleston in his role in 'Cracker' back in the 90s. Add to the mix, the Russell T Davies connection and the crossed wire was well sorted! I found the DVD version in my local library and decided to revisit the experience, solo. Ah ~ the Eureka moment, I'd never seen the ending.All the performances shine and the writing is fantastic. Lesley Sharp amazes and delights as the voice and face of reason ~ the woman who has to make the toughest decision and live with it. She is the one can see down the road ahead and has a handle on the concept of consequences. It is a post 9/11 piece as well, so that places it in great context also. So much international frenzy and fear that still sits in every airport to this day. The Second Coming ~ the title also a famous poem by Yeats ("And what rough beast, ... Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born? "), stirs the pot something delicious. What do people really believe ? How do they react in a crisis ? What/Who matters most if you think there are only 5 days left ? The fact that it all takes place in Manchester, England, England, makes it all the more potent and powerful.

This is a drama about how faith affects ordinary people. Those seeking a depiction on how air brushed air-heads get saved or not by some fantastical entity should perhaps try some specialised channel or You-tube instead. That this drama ends advocating the only way forward is to embrace a lack of faith is an interesting concept and should not be seen as threat to those who currently believe. It is expertly acted by all and there is no requirement for super-duper special effects which ITV ( not BBC folks, this wasn't made by them ) couldn't afford in any case. Having said all that, I did find the ending a bit rushed resulting in a trite and sentimental conclusion.

As I don't have a TV, and had never heard of this mini-series, I didn't know what to expect from The Second Coming and hired it purely on the strength of its plot synopsis, which sounded interesting.Dear God! (Every pun intended.) If someone told me that this had been written by a class of thirteen year olds who had been given the project of turning the second coming into a school play I wouldn't have been surprised.Why, oh why did they decide to portray Jesus mark II as what amounted to an idiot savant? Is there anything in any of the gospels to suggest this? Okay, an ordinary bloke, but a Great Northern Moron. I don't think so.Apparently all Jesus did to impress people was his miracles, because according to this take his preaching sure as hell never impressed anyone. Certainly without the night into day stunt Mr Jesus Eccleston would have been floundering without a canoe, a paddle or any kind of following at all.And the odd little gay polemics put in willy-nilly, without rhyme or reason. Other than, of course, Russell waving to his QAF fan base. Jesus turns up in the pub to recruit 'disciples' (more gormless Northern losers and, of course, the gay writer's standby - the harpy woman, nag, nag, nagging away). Gay rights are rammed down his throat to no real purpose, almost like Russell thought he 'owed it to the lads' to put Jesus on the spot. I can't really see the real Jesus coming out with "Well, I've nothing against it personally, mate." Only someone truly middle class and woolly could imagine Jesus to be quite this wet.And don't start me on the ending. 'Please come in and eat rat poison because the only way we can be truly free is if God dies'.It was like an Eddie Izzard sketch of God as Bill Gates. "Hello, I'm Bill Gates, and now you've pointed out to me that my global domination is cramping your style I'm going to give it all to you, my customers." And eat the rat poison, of course.I'm often mystified by the ratings on IMDb, but the high rating on this one takes the biscuit.Never mind Jesus for the new millennium - this is Jesus for brainless MTV lads.God help us all indeed.

I really liked this movie, even if I'm not sure what to think of the ending. But one thing I simply love about British movies is that they're brave enough to use actors that don't look like actors. All the characters in the movie look like real people. Not ugly, but not all pretty either. It's one of many things that makes me grateful that this wasn't made by an American studio. Every actor played their role believably, making you care both about their characters and the story they were in. And the story... well it makes you think. It makes you wonder about your own life and the role of religion in it.It makes you wonder about the bible, about the role of God in the world. It doesn't try to tell you what to think. I love that Judith isn't a believer at the start. I love that she keeps asking for proof, that she keeps being the voice that says. "but he's just Steve" Because no prophet is ever believed in his own village.And I love that Steve is a regular guy. Just like Jesus in his time, was just a regular guy until he started preaching. I love the humanity of it, because that's what the son of God is supposed to be. The son of man, as Jesus called himself at least once. Like I said, I'm not sure about the ending, but really, that's a good thing. It'd be worse if it were an ending you'd be sure of, because then you wouldn't have to think anymore. And that's the great thing about this movie. It doesn't 'tell' you what you're supposed to think.